Course
Outline: Fish Health (Aqua 3000)
Instructors: J.
Duston Ph.D.
Term: Winter
Updated: Jan ‘08 |
Week |
Lectures:
Mon, Wed, Fri, 12-1 |
Lab:
Thurs. 2 to 5pm |
1 |
Introduction:
Aquaculture industry and fish health.
Environment, Immunology & Pathogens.
Biosecurity and disinfection methods
1. Environment. Solids: inorganic
& organic. Temperature
Gases: O2, N2, CO2 |
1. Biosecurity.
Disinfectants: liquid chemicals, ozone, UV.
Observing fish: normal vs. abnormal
|
2 |
pH, alkalinity and carbonate
equilibrium. pH control: rivers to biofilters. Acidosis
and fish health. Acid rain |
2. . Solids removal.
Measure: Turbidity, temperature, O2 & N2 |
3 |
Hardness: membrane permeability
& metal toxicity
Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate introduction. NH3 toxicity
and pH. Brown blood disease. |
3. . Carbonate
equilibrium. Use water quality tests kits to measure
CO2, alkalinity, pH, and hardness. |
4 |
Biofilters. Design principles.
Start-up and maintenance.
Toxicants: PCB's and the media. Chemical therapeutants,
antibiotics and food fish. Fallowing |
4. Ammonia, nitrite
and nitrate.
Feeding vs. ammonia excretion.
Biofilter performance testing.
|
5 |
2. Fish Immunology.
Risk: susceptibility vs. virulence. External:
Mucus, skin, gut wall. Skin ulcers, dermatitis.
Gut microflora and probiotics. Inflammatory response.
Non-specific vs. specific immunity. Haematology. |
5. Formalin and Chloramine
T bath treatments. Writing standard operating procedures |
| |
SPRING BREAK |
|
6 |
Specific immunity. B
and T cells. Antibodies and antigen inactivation.
Synergy between non-specific and specific immune
systems. Lymphoid system. Vaccinology. Relative
percent survival. Memory. Adhesions. |
No lab class.
Mid-term Exam
|
7 |
Stress and fish. Acute
vs. chronic. Primary, secondary and tertiary stress
response. Immuno-suppression. Interrenal: cortisol.
Genetic selection for low stress. Stocking density
and stress: perceptions and reality. |
6. Haematology. Fish
blood cells: preparation, identification, function. |
8 |
3. Pathogens.
Introduction. Bacterial diseases. Pathology-transmission-treatment-prevention.
Furunculosis. Vibriosis. Bacterial kidney
disease. |
7. Vaccination: video.
Skills: injection of oil based vaccines. Immersion
vaccination. |
9 |
Viral diseases. Replication.
Vertical and horizontal transmission. Diagnosis.
Prevention. Biosecurity. Infectious salmonid anemia.
Infectious pancreatic necrosis. Infectious haematopoietic
necrosis: DNA vaccine. |
8. Necropsy methods
with Fish Veterinarian (NS Dept. Ag. & Fish.). |
10 |
‘Animal’
(eukaryotic) parasites of fish. Protozoa: ‘Ich’,
trichodina: life cycle and treatment. Whirling disease. |
9. Fish Health Index.
Fish dissection. Normal vs. abnormal organs/tissues |
11 |
Worms: Platyhelminthes
and nematodes. Ecto- and endoparasites. Gyrodactylus.
Life cycle, pathology, treatment. Bass tapeworm.
Accidental translocation |
10. Bacteriology.
Practice pathogen ID methods |
12 |
Copepods. Sealice. Life-cycle,
treatment and management. Slice. Gill maggots. Fungal
diseases. Review of course. |
11. Parasites |
| 
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